Milwaukee Athletics

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Milwaukee volleyball team defeated Indiana State, 3-2, Thursday evening, using a crucial challenge late in the fifth set to help secure the victory and extend its winning streak to four matches.
 
The Panthers trailed 12-11 in the final stanza when a ball hit by Milica Tomic went over the net and landed near the line. The ball was originally ruled out, giving Indiana State a 13-11 advantage, but the play was reviewed and video showed that the ball had touched the line. The call was overturned, leveling the score at 12-12.
 
The overturned call snapped an 8-3 run by the Sycamores, and Milwaukee took advantage with service back on its side. The Panthers closed out the match by winning four of the final five points, with Josie Noble delivering the match-clinching kill to seal the victory.
 
Tomic finished the match with 23 assists and Emma Duffy dished out 20 as the Panthers and Sycamores finished the night with 53 assists each. Indiana State held a 59-56 advantage in hills, with Annie Eschenbach leading the way for Milwaukee with 15, followed by Ella Schuetz with 14 and Ella Parker with 11.
 
While the offensive numbers were close between the two sides, Milwaukee's defense proved to be a major factor in the win. The Panthers held a 12-9 edge in blocks and a 75-61 advantage in digs. Noble led the way with six blocks, while Bella Lipski added five. Kati Goba had a team-best 18 digs, while Schuetz and Tomic had double-doubles, with Schuetz adding 14 digs and Tomic finishing with 12.
 
The Panthers cruised to a 25-18 first-set win, but Indiana State answered back with consecutive 25-18 wins of its own to take a 2-1 match lead.
 
Indiana State led by as many as six points in the fourth set and held an 18-15 lead later in the period. Milwaukee closed to within one at 19-18 before gaining the lead on a kill by Schuetz and back-to-back kills by Parker to move ahead, 24-23. Noble added a kill to set up a second set point at 26-25 before she and Julia Kellner combined for a set-clinching point to force a fifth set.
 
Milwaukee took an early lead in the fifth before the Sycamores charged back, turning an 8-4 deficit into a 12-11 advantage. The challenged play on the next rally evened the score at 12-12, and the Panthers finished off the comeback from there, with Noble sealing the victory with a kill.

"That was a hard match as a whole," said head coach Susie Johnson. "Indiana State kept fighting back, and we had to continue to make adjustments and find ways to get better within the match in order to win. I was proud of how we responded to the different situations we faced and continued to battle through it. There are definitely things we can continue to work on, but finding a way to win a match like that is important for this team."
 
Indiana State held an 11-2 advantage in aces, including six by Corinne Knapp. Kira Holland had a team-best 15 kills, while Hadley Hardersen finished one off the team lead. Avery Hales paced the offense with 25 assists, while Hardersen added 20.
 
Milwaukee and Indiana State will meet again Friday, with first serve set for 4:00 p.m. (CT) at the ISU Arena.